Storybook Farm Inc

Storybook Farm is on a mission to change childhood. Our desire is for every child to experience the remarkable healing power of animals. In 2002, we began meeting the needs of a handful of children in Auburn, Alabama with the backs of just three horses. Now over twenty years later, Storybook Farm welcomes over 3,200 children annually from 6 counties across Alabama and Georgia - with the help of 30+ animals and over 1,000 volunteers.

At Storybook, children learn naturally. Our strategy to improve the overall well-being of children and their families is a three-fold approach.

First, in Paddington Station and Emerald City Arenas, children experience life from a different vantage point - the back of a horse. Horseback riding is a fun recreational activity. It also provides many intrinsic benefits including emotional and psychological encouragement, physical development, improved cognitive and communication skills, greater self-confidence and self-assurance as well as endless educational opportunities. Developing and improving all these skills are essential for growth and maturity.

Second, we believe dogs are good for kids. They have an innate ability to read emotions; they are loyal and have an affinity for hugs and kisses. They teach lessons on responsibility, selflessness, compassion and thinking on your feet. With these points in mind, we created two canine areas: the Fox and the Hound Playground, a two-acre dog park and Ribsy’s Dog House home of Storybook Tails, a literacy initiative.

Third, in our world of wonder and whimsy, spending time outdoors is not only beneficial, but a necessity. In the Secret Garden and on Flat Stanley’s Sensory Trail, children engage with nature, stimulate the senses, strengthen fine motor skills, and some discover (for the first time) tomatoes, cucumbers and watermelons grow on vines not in grocery stores! Nature sparks the imagination and is a catalyst for all kinds of questions about the earth and the life it supports.

We serve individual families, groups and school classrooms with no regard for situation or financial ability. No child must “qualify” to participate. We support 24 local and regional youth non-profits as well and provide all programming at no charge.

When our barn doors opened in 2002, I could never have imagined the Storybook of today:
- Providing six educational programs: Hope on Horseback (hands-on experiences with horses), Storybook Tails (reading initiative with kids and canine companions), Flat Stanley's Sensory Trail (nature trail to engage the senses), Fox and the Hound Playground (2-acre dog park for play with Storybook's canines), The Secret Garden (harvest seasonal vegetables, herbs and fruit trees to encourage sustainable living) and Pixie Hollow (engagement with Storybook's miniature horses, donkeys and goats)
- Utilizing a 51-acre farm including Paddington Station and Emerald City riding arenas, Prancing Pony Pavilion and the Papa Bear Horse Center

Our infrastructure was completed in 2005. It supported 200 annual participants and 12 horses. As the years rolled along, we found there to be a few shortcomings that inhibited our mission. We did not have sufficient indoor areas for educational activities and adverse weather often hampered our ability to hold programs. Our volunteer base outgrew the workspace provided to develop children’s programming. We lacked private meeting room for parents and supporters to discuss confidential matters. and adequate housing for an increasing equine staff. We operated in conditions above what our accommodations could adequately provide for many years. To try and keep up with the demand for our services, we created temporary equine housing as more horses joined our team, repurposed our children's library to store riding tack, and moved feed supplies into our tool storage shed. Unfortunately, it finally reached a point where growing pains limited our impact and our accommodations could stretch no further.

In Spring 2019, thanks to immense support from businesses and foundations, we finally began designing a facility on par with the needs of our community. The result was the new Papa Bear Horse Center, a 10,000+ sq. ft. facility created thanks to our incredible partners, Stone Martin Builders and the Peyton Anderson Foundation. Home to both horses and hope, this barn remedies several crucial insufficiencies present in the original barn. The expansion has been transformative. The Papa Bear Horse Center advances us one step closer to our vision that all children have the opportunity to experience the power of the human-animal bond. To that end, we introduced more horses to our program to serve the hundreds of children currently on our waitlist. As of 2022, over 3,000 children had access to opportunities that foster education, friendship, and healing.

We’ve all experienced the power of a place. It moves you. It connects you. Moments like that are organic and visceral at Storybook Farm. We boast a culture built on relationships. We draw limitless inspiration from literature and reap unique opportunities to spark exploration and learning. We are THAT place for thousands of children and volunteers each year.

Storybook Farm was named the "2009 Farm of Distinction" by the Lee County Farm City Committee. In the fall of 2011, Storybook Farm received "The Partnership of the Year Award" presented by the East Alabama Governor's Committee as well as a "Certificate of Appreciation" from the United States Department of Agriculture for work with individuals with disabilities. In addition, Storybook Farm was featured in Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's "Healthy Pets and Healthy People" website in the fall of 2013. Chick-fil-A recognized Storybook Farm with the November 2013 "Community and Character Counts" award. In 2017, Storybook Farm was named Small Business of the Quarter by the Opelika Chamber of Commerce. In 2018, Dena Little, Storybook Farm's Founder, received a resolution by the Senate of Alabama for professional achievement and service to the community. In 2018 and 2019, Storybook Farm was awarded Best Service Organization by Hull Property Group’s Auburn Summer Showcase. In 2019, Dena Little was recognized by the Jr. League of Lee County as a Distinguished Woman of Service.

At Storybook, children learn about animals and friendship, but even more importantly they learn about themselves. Helping a child overcome adversity through the power of the human-animal bond is why we do what we do.

We welcome individual families, groups and classrooms with no regard for situation or financial ability. No child must “qualify” to participate; we are here to serve any child in need of our life-changing experiences. Additionally, we support 24 local and regional youth non-profits that attend Storybook Farm field trips and annual family-centered holiday parties.